Buying A House With A Low Credit Score

 

If your credit problem isn't too serious, you may still be able to get a traditional loan. First, you should correct any errors on your credit report, and challenge any entries you think shouldn't be there. This is your legal right. If you can get it changed, then once those changes are reflected in your credit score, you may be able to apply again and get a loan for that home.

 

You also can go only to lenders who hold their own loans "in house." This means they don't sell them into the secondary market, which means the loans don't have to meet certain requirements. A bank which holds its own loans can make their own rules (to an extent). Ask around to see if some of your local banks or credit unions keep mortgage loans in their own portfolio. Few do these days, but some still do. It pays to ask.

 

A more creative way to overcome bad credit is to buy a house with another person. This isn't only for married couples. Any two people can buy a home together, and the lender will look at both credit histories. It might be tricky to buy a house with a friend, but it can be better for both compared to renting. For example, you might have a down payment, and your friend could have good credit. You could agree to sell the home five years later to recover your down payment and each of your respective shares of the equity that is built up from appreciation and the paying down of the loan.

 

Seller financing is another way to buy when you can't get a loan because of bad credit. Some homes have sold without credit checks and even with nothing down by sellers who financed the purchase. Their motivation is usually to get a higher price and/or to sell a problem property, but this doesn't rule out a good opportunity for you. When sellers don't offer terms, find out if they own their houses free and clear. If so, you could make an offer that involves payments to the owner rather than getting a loan from the bank.

 

 

 

Real Estate: It's a Buyer's Market

 

It's a wonderful time to be a home buyer. An opportunity like this comes around every eight to thirteen years. Whether you are a first time home buyer, an investor; or if you have been part of the real estate market for the last several years and were hoping to move up, now is the time!

 

To start with, we have a huge inventory of homes on the market right now and sellers have come to realize that in order to sell their homes they have to price out their competition. This is quite a turnaround since from 2003 through to mid 2006, it was tough to find exactly what you were looking for in a home. The inventory was scarce, and if you found a home that had a few features you liked; you had better write an offer right then and there or it would be gone by the afternoon! Buyers were on a frenzied buying spree to purchase a home before someone else got it. It created a huge sense of urgency and many buyers settled for less than they wanted in a home. Thankfully that day is gone for now.

 

Buyers can now negotiate great deals on homes, warranties, and seller paid closing costs. And with house inventory being so high there will be some great deals to be had. Foreclosures and short sale homes are very often a great buy, but new legislation will coming into effect to protect distressed sellers from being taken advantage of make now the wise time to insure that you don't miss this buying opportunity.

 

The importance of being prepared when buying a home cannot be overstated. Being pre-qualified for a certain loan amount with a reputable lender is a must for two reasons: First, you know how much home you can afford; Second, you are in a stronger buying position. Your offer will be viewed more favorably if it is accompanied by a pre-qualification letter.

 

So find yourself a great lender who will find the best loan for you. And last but not least good luck on finding the best home for your money!

 

We can help you with that last one. Contact us and let us show you exactly why NOW is the time to buy real estate.

 

 

 

Playing the Housing Slump

 

Financial lore says you should buy when there's blood in the street — which suggests real estate is a bargain, because there's blood all over the neighborhood right now.

 

Time to invest?  Now could spell opportunity for this year's buyers.  But what if you already own a home — and have no desire to become a landlord?  Here are three ways to play today's battered housing market.

 

Trading up.

If you're wanting a larger home or a house in a better neighborhood, this could be your chance to trade up and save big.

 

To be sure, when you go to sell your current home, you will likely get a modest price. Since 2006's second quarter, real estate has fallen 10.2%, as measured by the S&P/Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index.  But your new, grander house will also be relatively inexpensive, so you're effectively cranking up your real-estate exposure when the market is well below its peak.

 

Your new home will probably mean not only a bigger mortgage, but also higher ongoing costs, including homeowner's insurance, property taxes and maintenance expenses.  These ongoing costs will offset a large chunk of any future home-price appreciation.

 

In other words, trading up to a larger home or a better neighborhood is really about wanting to consume more real estate.  Still, like any thrifty shopper, you want to buy when there's a sale — and that is what today's market offers.

 

As long as it doesn't cut into your ability to accumulate capital for retirement, this is probably a pretty good time to upgrade.

 

Doubling down.

Instead of trading up, you might be eyeing a vacation home. If you don't plan to rent the place out, the same logic applies: Once you subtract the annual costs from the price appreciation, you likely won't make very much money — which means the property won't be much of an investment.

 

On the other hand, maybe you're two or three years from retirement and are toying with buying a second home that could become your sole residence once you quit the work force. Does it make sense to purchase now, given the decline in home prices?

 

Buying today is no doubt appealing, because it'll give you a chance to vacation in your future home. But whether it turns out to be a wise financial move depends on what happens to property prices — and that's tough to predict.

 

The bottom line: If you think you'll get a lot of use from a second home, go ahead and buy.  But if you view the purchase as a bet on rising home prices, the best advice might be to hold off for now.

 

Helping hand.

While buying more real estate for your own use probably won't be a great investment, you could help your adult children make good money — by transforming them from renters to homeowners.

 

To that end, you might give your kids an advance on their eventual inheritance, so they have enough money to make a down payment.  Yes, that means they will start to incur the housing costs mentioned above, including property taxes and maintenance expenses.  But your children will also replace their monthly rent check with a monthly mortgage check, and that will allow them to start building home equity.

 

 

 

Closing Escrow: What Does it Really Mean?

 

Escrow is a written agreement between the seller and buyer of a property. The moment escrow comes into existence, a third party person, known as an escrow holder, comes into existence. An escrow holder is liable for all the activities executed by both the parties for the purpose of closing the escrow within the desired period of time.

 

An escrow holder acts as an unbiased personal agent for both parties and collects the funds and documents for the smooth transfer of ownership.  An escrow holder is trusted by both the parties, and carries out his job faithfully.

 

For the successful closing of escrow, the escrow holder strictly follows the instructions of the escrow deed.  If the conditions of escrow are not fulfilled, the seller can ask the escrow holder not to hand over the documents to the buyer.  And, in the same manner, if the buyer's requirements are not fulfilled, he can also ask the escrow holder to not move the funds.

 

In some states, attorneys act as the escrow agent or holder.

 

Closing of Escrow

 

Closing of escrow can not be completed without the fulfillment of certain conditions. To ensure that both parties are performing according to the guidelines of escrow, the escrow holder inspects the ongoing process on regular intervals.  If there is any lack of performances, by any of the parties, the escrow holder will immediately report this matter to the concerned party, and follow the instructions, as given.

 

All the expenses related with the escrow are paid by both the parties as decided.  Payment of title insurance, attorney fees, fees for preparing the documents, notary fees, and loan fees are some of such expenses. The payment details are given in the escrow.  All of this is to assure that no disputes arise between the seller and the buyer.

 

The process of escrow is simple, and can be fulfilled by buyer and seller. But, just because of the nature of activities and involvement of paperwork, keeping an escrow holder is always advisable. Closing of escrow under an escrow holder becomes easy, and all parties involved in the transactions can easily relate their responsibilities with each other to avoid creating extra work, and also to save time.

 

 

 

People to Know in the Real Estate Transaction

 

When you're thinking about buying a house… there are a lot of people you need to get to know who will assist you along the way. 

 

This video clip will give you a quick summary of some of the people you'll get to know when buying a home. (runs 4:22)

 

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